UW Expands Psychotherapy Capability for Violence Victims

December 7, 2011

Mental health care for Wyoming's domestic abuse victims is
expanding with a grant from the Verizon Foundation to the University of Wyoming
College of Health Sciences' Center for Rural Health Research and Education
(CRHRE). The grant will be used to expand an existing psychotherapy service
provided by the Department of
Psychology.

The psychotherapy service is provided by fully qualified
students who are pursuing doctoral degrees in psychology, supervised by Matt
Gray, associate professor in the UW Department of Psychology. He says the
individuals receiving the free psychotherapy are clients of domestic violence
and sexual assault crisis centers in the Wyoming communities served.

"Many of the domestic violence victims cannot afford
therapy, and it may be difficult to find counselors trained in domestic abuse
or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment," Gray says. "PTSD is a
frequent result of domestic violence."

The $16,300 Verizon Foundation grant will expand the Wyoming
Trauma Telehealth Treatment Clinic (WTTTC) to year-round service, adding
counselors in the summer semester in addition to the regular school year.
Counselors in Laramie now provide service to clients in Cheyenne, Gillette and
Rawlins and plan to expand service with the grant support.

"Verizon and its employees are part of the fabric of the
communities we serve, and we champion many efforts in support of victims of
domestic abuse and violence," says Bob Kelley, Verizon's community relations
manager. "The expanded psychotherapy service provided by UW through a grant
from the Verizon Foundation will help survivors of domestic violence recover
from the mental trauma and begin to rebuild their lives."

CRHRE Director Rex Gantenbein says his department and the
Department of Psychology have collaborated on this project for three years and
applying for the Verizon Foundation grant was a logical step to move the
program forward.

"We are working to improve the availability of mental health
care in the state through a telehealth network UW has been building," Gantenbein
says. "Expanding assistance for this highly at-risk population is an important
part of our plan."

Gray says the program benefits both the students and the
clients.

"It gives the clients the help they need in dealing with the violence they have suffered, and students receive carefully supervised experiences in dealing with violence PTSD victims," says Gray.